Why the US is Involved in Syria (and everything else)

Let's put this question to bed: the United States is in charge. We wanted it, we demanded it, we killed, coerced, and stole for it. And now we're the world's police. This didn't happen by accident. That was the plan all along. Yet, when things get dangerous, there's always a section of the population that asks that petulant and naive question: who made us the world's police? The answer is simple: we did.

There's an on-going genocide in Syria. A brutal dictator is using all of his weapons -including sarin gas- to kill dissidents. Hundreds of thousands have been murdered. A decision must be made by the US government, and while I don't know what should be done it's absurd to say that America can sit this one out. The US government has manufactured an untenable situation where almost all international business and diplomacy must cross before the president's desk. The plan was brilliant and now this country is reaping but the fruit and frustration from it.

In between World War I and World War II the plan began to take shape on several different fronts. While it's highly unlikely there was a grand conspiracy, the results of several different initiatives in politics and economics has triggered the 'American Century" and the continuous power vacuum that we fill with our money and influence.

THE DOLLAR

The dollar is an international currency. Who made this happen? We did. We encouraged second and third world countries to back their currency with the US dollar. This improved our power and economic muscle during the Cold War. I have a friend who works in bank investigation around the world and he put it best: shit gets done faster with the dollar.

At the beginning of the millennium there was a strong push to supplant the dollar with Euros. The EU was riding high and there was buzz there many countries would switch over. The US government had a quiet, sustained freak-out. The word got out through the World Bank (whose board and staff is mostly American) that there would be repercussions for switching to the Euro. Suddenly all that talk about dropping the dollar faded. Many governments not only have to do with the international organizations financing but private corporations like Goldman Sachs which in some countries holds more 'dollar power' than the US government. The overall trickle down effect is that the dollar is what brings in the bulldozers, builds the bridges, swapped in for government bonds to finance new roads and infrastructure.

The dollar not only works for legitimate financing but is the currency of international black markets. One of the largest Black markets is the international drug economy. The number one purchaser of drugs is the United States, which is only 5% of the world's population. We pay the largest suppliers -Peru, Bolivia, Columbia, Dominican Republic- with our dollar, which has the unintended consequence of making these countries awash billions every year. This trickles up from the Black market as 'dirty money' is washed through real estate, construction, and many dummy companies.

The US consumer enjoys the enormous benefits of having stability and sustained purchasing power. You will almost never hear of a shortage of anything in this country. Our gas costs $3 a gallon which is unbelievable until you notice that gas almost everywhere else costs $4-5 per liter (must smaller amount than a gallon). We can go to Wal-Mart and pick up a package of 20 tube socks for $4 because our money goes a lot further in sweatshop countries.

MILITARY

By now it's a well-known fact that the US spends more on weapons than the rest of the world combined. But what's further chilling is that we supply a large section of the world with their weapons. Most countries know that if they want high-quality weaponry and the latest technology, they need to purchase from the US. And we help facilitate this by offering military aid contingent upon them buying from American companies.

It's not a coincidence that the Egypt gets $1 billion in aid. Some Americans may think that it's outrageous that we're paying for their weapons. But we're paying and subsidizing their weapon purchases because they buy from us. So for a $1 billion 'strings attached' aid the Egyptian military then becomes dependent upon US expertise, consultants, and weapons that runs into the billions for them to pay. In short, military aid is a money-making bonanza for American corporations. We then tax those US corporations as well as their employees. These workers go out and spend their paycheck for products, which we tax again. What starts off as aid, becomes a money-making opportunity that infuses the American economy on every level.

For every $1 in military aid we give to a country like Egypt or Pakistan, their government will probably end up spending several dollars to keep their software updated, pay for American consultants, and to keep the arms race going.

DIPLOMACY

Besides the UN, there is the the World Bank, World Trade Organization, G-20. There is a network of diplomatic and economic international organizations. Mostly started and run by Westerners powers who are funneled through Western Europe and American educational institutions and gatekeepers. Even if an aberrant 'other' makes it through they've had to have been schooled, trained, networked in a very small circle of accepted universities and think tanks. Even for a US citizen, there are only about 10 or 15 universities to go through to get into these international organizations. You won't find someone born, raised, and educated in -for instance- Montana making their way up the ladder in the WTO; not because there aren't perfectly capable people in Montana or any number of other states but because that's not within the accepted gateways. And as far as other countries are concerned, the US has a monopoly on the gates and pathways to these international organizations.

CULTURAL POWER

The US's cultural hegemony is a 'soft power.' The persuasive power of culture, though, has much more effect on the people of the world than even our weapons. When it comes to the system TV networks and cable, that's a US creation that is now in every country. The few chosen internet and social media giants have headquarters in California in the tech-regions. On a disproportionate level, American corporations are trendsetters for the platform and distribution models in TV, film, and internet. We then fill these channels with a glut of content from our new products to over 60 years worth of Americana that is flying around the world all the time. From "I Love Lucy" to "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" many countries supplement their channels with syndicated American products. There's not even a close competitor to US cultural power. It's a blowout.  Once again, the term 'America' is misleading because it's not the whole country. It's LA and New York as the major pipelines with Silicon Valley as the technological factory pumping out new smart phone models, phone apps, and content.

TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT

American corporate, financial, cultural, and diplomatic interests dominate every corner of the globe. This gives us a stability and security unheard of in any country in the world. The media says we should be scared of China, but check each category and ask where does it hold an advantage internationally? Their military, culture, technology, and even currency lives in the shadows of a much smaller country. Granted, China has bought a lot of our debt, but not out of a sense of reverence or kindness. The reason why the Chinese government buys American bonds is because they are the most stable thing to invest in, even more so than their own economy which is based on a real estate bubble that can't sustain itself. In order to keep its rapacious growth, China has continued a construction boom to pay out money. Now they're forcibly trying to move people into these hollow cities to keep the economy going. The only fear about China is that if they fall, they're big enough to trigger a worldwide recession. But their growth is largely internal and unsustainable.

A decision will be made by President Obama on how to proceed with Egyptian unrest and a Syrian civil war. While we don't want to be involved, it's unrealistic to think that our involvement isn't already predetermined. Whether American citizens like it or not, we are involved. And if America enjoys the fruits of this intrusive system then we will also must be responsible for the labor.

Edward Snowden and the Importance of Whistleblowers

Some times debate is the most healthy thing to do before pursuing action. In the case of the NSA scandal there seemed to be a lot of outrage followed by a large yawning indifference to do anything. This was concerning to me for several reason. The constant surveillance combined with an increasingly militarized SWAT team police mentality and corporate prisons-for-profit has created the perfect storm to destroy civil rights. America is moving toward a system which monitors and keeps its citizens on edge all the time, merciless beats and punishes them with paramilitary Rambo cops, shackles them with enormous debt, and then earns profit on putting as many people away as possible for as long as conceivable thanks to mandatory sentences.

In a series of videos I finished for Learn Liberty this summer, we wanted to examine the NSA scandal and the broader implications for our society. Fortunately Yeshiva University Professor James Otteson came and served as the expert on these issues.

I wrote and produced these videos. The talented Tafadzwa Chiriga directed and edited, while Angela Cobb was featured in videos with the voice of Professor Otteson.

I'm hoping this is the first series in many that examines these many dangerous facets that have become a part of our normal life so that we can begin to change things for the better.

The Fable of the Four Philanthropists

Once upon a time, there was a small town besieged by war. Invading marauders eventually captured the land, built a prison in middle of the town square, and imprisoned all the warrior men of the community. And every day citizens would see their sons and fathers suffering behind bars in the middle of the town square. Unable to bear it any longer, 4 philanthropists got together and decided to make an offering of peace. 

The first philanthropist went to the jailer and said that he had a lot of money and couldn't stand to see the prisoners without fresh water. He begged for mercy so that he could spend all his money to buy fresh water for the prisoners to drink. The invaders allowed it and the philanthropist felt at peace with his offering. 

The second philanthropist went to the jailer and said he had a lot of livestock and couldn't stand to see the prisoners sleeping on rocks and dirt. He begged the jailer to be allowed to use his sheep and animal skins to make beds and pillows for the prisoners. The invaders allowed this gift and the philanthropist felt at peace. 

The third philanthropist went to the jailer and said he had a very large farm and he couldn't stand to see prisoners eating so poorly that many were malnourished. He begged the jailer to be allowed to bring all his food from the farm and make meals for the prisoners. The invaders allowed this gift and philanthropist felt at peace. 

The fourth philanthropist had neither farm, nor livestock, nor money. He was very poor. But he was a saint. So for his gift he did what any saint would do: he stole the jailer's keys, snuck back to the jail at night, and released all the prisoners. And he felt at peace with this offering. 


I listened to this story on a Wayne Dyer CD as I drove through Miami. I thought about the offering of comfort. It is nice to have good food in the prison of this life, good clothes, and luxurious sleep while inside the prison. But how much better it would be to just leave the prison. It's a frightening proposition because we've been told that we are born into the jail cell of this body and the only way we leave it is through death.

Many spiritualities promise salvation after death. Yet the esoteric branches of these same major religions hint at something else. From the Kabbalah sect within Judaism, to the Sufi mystics of Islam, to the Christian transcendentalist, as well as Hindu and Buddhist Tantric practitioners, they have all looked at this belief and said 'yes, but what if it was different? What if we didn't have to die to get out of the cell? What if this life is not synonymous with the prison? Then the prison we are trapped in must be something. And life can be lived in a different way and in freedom.

I wonder about the convergence of all these religions along with the science of quantum physics. It feels like these things have been predicted by the Dalai Lama as well as A Course in Miracles. It seems as if our society's are reaching a point where we're realizing that the attitude of 'wait until death' isn't good enough any more. And it would be criminal for me to waste time in this life consumed with ensuring basic comfort for myself and my family instead of learning how to leave this prison while in this life.

There are days when I am consumed by the first 3 philanthropists.  I just want the money, the comfort, feeding my ego with the thoughts of fame. There is nothing wrong with wanting comfort. I don't even think there's anything wrong with dreaming of reaching more people and having a good reputation. But only when that comfort can be used to achieve the clarity of the fourth philanthropist so that I can find the keys to freedom.

No Means No: The NSA Scandal, Edward Snowden, and Privacy

This summer has been a challenging one for liberty. From the rolling back of the Voting Rights Act for Black voters in the south, to the challenges and controversy of "Stop N' Frisk" it seems like there's a direct frontal assault on basic rights. But the most dangerous reveal has been from the Edward Snowden leaks about the NSA spying on potentially millions of people without warrant or probable cause.

 I wanted to say something so I approached Learn Liberty about putting out a bunch of videos this summer and fall that addresses how are liberties are under attack. I wrote and produced this first video with the very talented filmmaker Tafadzwa Chiriga who shot and edited these videos.  Yeshiva University professor Jim Otteson offers his advice and wisdom.

Civil Rights Movement: 10 Questions to my Mom

This year is the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. Today my mom said 'oh yeah, I did some protesting.' I had no idea.

In 1963, my mom -Yvonne Boston- was a college student in Daytona Beach, Florida. She went to the historically Black college, Bethune Cookman. I wanted to record these details from 1963.

Name: Yvonne Boston Squire

Hometown: Columbia, South Carolina

Current Town: Miami Gardens, FL. 


Q: What did you do?

A: We held protests at Morrison Cafeteria when we were in college. Marching around with signs to get them desegregate the entire restaurant. Back then, Morrison had a big chain in Daytona and Miami. I never ate there before because it was too far from campus.


Q: Why didn't you tell me this before?

A: I don't know. Everyone was doing it back then. I was in college and I think the NAACP came to our campus and asked us students to be a part of the movement. We signed up. Our non-violence training was pretty simple. They just told us 'this isn't Malcolm X. We're not trying to punch people. Don't respond to their comments. Just walk and hold the signs.'


Q: Were you able to stay completely non-violent?

A: Sort of. We were marching back and forth in front of the cafeteria. There was this middle-aged White woman who kept breaking our line. And she would bump me. And then she would come back through and bump me again. So the third time I put my elbow out. (laughs) It was very subtle but I just nudged her and kept marching. It was little...just some people are bullies, you know that. And they just need a little encouragement...(laughs) to stop. She didn't come back through our line again.


Q: How many of you showed up?

A: 20-30 depending on the day. Bethune was a small college. A lot of people were on Malcolm X's side. They wanted violence. I really didn't know what I wanted. I just floated through. I remember coming back from protest and having to go to German class (laughs). "Machen sie das buch zu!"


Q. How long did you march?

A: A few hours each day. We marched maybe a few weeks or a month or so, don't quite remember. It was around November. And then Kennedy was killed.


Q: How were people back then?

A: Daytona isn't a place people were born. People come from other places. So we had catcalls from people in cars and on the sidewalks.


Q: What would they say?

A: Go home...and 'other things.'


Q: Did you march on the day when Kennedy was killed?

A: Yes. And a car drove by and someone yelled out, 'your president got killed.' Your president. As if they are from another country. 'How do you feel now, your president has been shot! Go home!'


Q: How did students react to Kennedy being assassinated?

A: People were shocked and sad. They were crying. It was unbelievable. Someone heard it on the radio and it spread around the campus. But we still got out there that day and the next.


Q: And what ended up happening?

A: They desegregated. Very soon after that. But I ate at Morrison's years later in Miami...after they had desegregated. The food was actually good.

Vendors of Love

I had an unusual dream and I wanted to write this down before forgetting:

Abigail, one of my friends, asked me for help in rewriting a song. We were at a resort in the cafe/store. She put a bottle of blue Mountain Dew on the counter and I read the lyrics from a yellow note pad. Something was off about the song's first line. It was too literal and stiff-sounding.

I said 'you remember the first line to TLC's "Waterfalls." A bunch of tourists chimed in 'yeah.' We started singing the song (mumbling through sections we didn't understand). Then I said 'yes, that's what it should be like.' That was gist of my advice.

I put something on the counter to purchase and they kept trying to charge me for the Mountain Dew, which I was adamant about not taking. The soda sat on the counter for over a day and they kept trying to charge it to people. No one wanted to buy it. Finally the clerk laughed and just put it back on the shelf. End of dream.

When I awoke I hadn't even heard my alarm. I missed it by over 2 hours but felt restful. I walked to the bathroom and thought about the meaning.

The dream seems fairly straight-forward. I'm aware of the ghosts of several other dreams overlapping and flowing through this 'Mountain Dew' dream but that was the strongest part that stayed with me upon waking.

Perhaps this has to do with conversation I had about 'enabling.' My friend was worried about being an enabler and I asked bluntly 'what does that word even mean for you?' In the context of the conversation, I was starting to get irritated by the awareness that 'enabling' was becoming this vague psycho-babble salve we were just throwing around.

My definition of enabling was five short words: buying something you don't want. I had an image in my head of a marketplace with all these rows of vendors. At each stall, people are yelling offers and waving around their wares. Merchants are selling with all their heart. I don't have to listen to them, much less buy what they're selling. If I do buy what they're selling and I know that I don't want the product...let's say blue-flavored Mountain Dew... then I'm buying it for another reason.

If I continue to buy what I don't want then I'm filling up my life with what I don't need and also keeping this seller in business for the wrong reason. I'm giving them false hope and convincing them to restock up Mountain Dew.

People are always trying to sell something: guilt, shame, childhood fear, delusion, hope, dreams, optimism, grandeur, small-thinking, love, groupthink, anger. Each one has its own stall in the marketplace and the vendor is shouting with a fervid gusto to consumers.  Merchants don't selling their products to ruin my life, they're not evil nor are they necessarily good. They're selling it because someone sold it to them and they believe it has value.

If all the world is a marketplace of ideas, then I have a choice over what I buy. If I stock up on shame, then that's not the vendors fault. That's enabling. And by enabling I'm making the world a worse place because I'm sending signals to the vendor to restock and bring back more shame. But if I shop at the stalls that sell love and forgiveness, then those merchants receive the message as well: bring back more.

I think so many of us are fed the rotten fruits of hatred as children. Our parents or teachers or friends fed us these disgusting meals and we didn't know any better. We ate it because we thought the entire world was the Mountain Dew stall in the town square. As an adult we get to walk the entire market.

No one serves an inedible meal and blames their mom from 20 years ago as the reason why they're continuing to buy, prepare, and consume garbage. No one buys an ill-fitting suit and blames the purchase on their teacher from 3rd grade. Yet, we do that all the time with negative emotions from the past. But we don't have to buy them. And our mothers and fathers didn't have to buy them either, but they did because the world convinced them. But we can break the cycle of bad purchases. There's no need to hate the vendor or get into an argument with them either, or convince them to sell something differently.

 We just shop elsewhere and patronize the merchants of love. The stores of hatred have only a few choices. They either 1) restock their shelves with something appealing 2) or they go out of business. There's no animosity in this end. The business world is direct and clear-eyed.

Religions get discontinued like old cell phones when they stop serving a purpose or become obsolete to the needs of the consumer. The Shakers or Mennonites served the world and then no one wanted to buy their ideas, so they went away. The stores stopped restocking their shelves and the factory stopped making the product. Eventually one day someone realizes they possess the last vestiges of a religion or idea and it becomes an antique. They either throw it away or put glass around it and sell it as an antique.

There are so many obsolete ideas in our world today that we enable. They're purchased out of familiarity or a sense of obligation to our identity or tribe. But these ideas no longer serve a purpose or the side effects have become poisonous. Once we stop purchasing these ideas, then we won't have them in our world. The businesses will have to clear their shelves when the due date expires. The vendors will go out of business. The factories and farm will cease to make that product.

This marketplace is replicated on a macro-level to every arena of life: politics, religion, art, entertainment. But the market also exists on the micro-level of our own body and mind. What I'm buying sends signals to the vendors to restock the shelves, who send orders to the factories and farms of my mind.

I have to remember to make the right purchases every day and patronize the ideas I wish to see proliferate themselves. Today I choose love.

Parable of Two Cats (and Epigram of the Orange)

1.

Two cats are hanging out in the alley. A young kitten is chasing his tail furiously and the Old one asks him what he’s doing.

The kitten says ‘well I’ve been to Cat philosophy school’ and I’ve figured it out. There are two things Cats want 1) to be happy and 2) happiness is located directly in the tail. So I’m pursuing my happiness.

The Old Cat says ‘well I haven’t been to school. I’ve mostly picked up what I know from hanging around the street. And I do agree that 1) we all want to be happy and 2) happiness is located in the tail. But I’ve found that if I just live my life, it follows me where ever I go.

2.

When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out. Because that's what is inside. When all animosity is removed from the heart and one is under pressure, no signs of ugliness can come out. Therefore temporary rage or being under pressure is no excuse for doing or saying something harmful. Because all that pressure did was reveal what is inside. 

-Dr. Wayne Dyer

Flights of Anger

The man next to me had designs on getting surreptitiously drunk. I put my bag in the overhead compartment and squeezed into the middle seat on a full flight to Ft. Lauderdale. Every few minutes he would turn his back to me and face out the window. Then he would reach under a cushion and pour liquid into his cup. The smell of the substance was strong and unmistakable.

The perfume of rum dissipated through the cabin as his mood became more foul. He was cursing an associate on the phone for being arrogant. The bromide of his dialogue filled with expletives.

"He is drunk with power-" he said before cutting himself off in recognizing that double-meaning in that phrase as he sipped from his plastic cup. I glanced at his crouched frame. He was an old Jamaican man and the coastal features of his face belied seas of roiling anger while forecasting many more storms to come. A balding pate topped his spavined frame was topped with thinning white tuffs of hair. He jabbed his left elbow for the arm rest. I let him have it and lurched forward while reading my book. Wiggling and twisting in his seat he would then bound forward to meet my shoulders. I would retreat backward and move into the space behind him, leaning back in my chair and, thus, securing the back portion of the arm rest. After a few minutes he would throw himself back into his chair bumping my shoulder and seeking real estate at the back of the arm rest, to which I would relinquish by moving forward once again. This dance carried on throughout the prolonged flight delay. By the time the flight attendant announced that we had to de-plane for a mechanical glitch, I was relieved to stretch my frame and walk around.

In the terminal I ran into another unusual man dressed with a Confederate flag shirt and jacket that seemed to spelled out a hatred for God. He was wearing shorts and his legs and neck were covered with tattoo's that seemed to indicate some sort of White supremacy. I glanced at him while walking to the food court and instinctively rolled my eyes. Mr. Confederate keep popping up in my line of sight throughout the long wait to board the plane again. I would turn around and he would be there. I would walk down a hallway and there he was standing around. I kept a poker face of nonchalance but began to have visions of punching him in the back of his head.

By the time we re-boarded we were all quite cozy and irritated. I dived into finishing a read of Lynn Nottage's "Ruined" and making my way through most of the Hindu mythology of the "Ramayana." The smell of rum wafted up from under his cushion on occasion. His phone rang again and a profanity tirade ensued to the person on the other line about the flight delays.

After all that wait the plane was docked now because of inclement weather conditions, which we would have avoided if it wasn't for the previous mechanical glitch which forced us to leave the plane. A storm brewed in the sky and began sprinkling the plane. Passengers sighed angrily and the Jamaican man next to me began cursing under his rum-noxious breath.

Our winged tormentor slowly lumbered into a long line of planes waiting to take off at LaGuardia. It felt like a rush hour line at Whole Food with only one cashier open. I did some prayers and passed out into a nap. When I awoke we were already in the air. It couldn't have been too long because the plane had not leveled out to its cruising altitude. We were in the clouds. My neighbor was curled into the window's scooped frame. I imagined he must either be quite an accomplished drinker or drunk by now. When the stewardess came around with the drink cart he ordered a Corona. I could feel the burning mixture of beer and hard liquor in my eyes. I said a Buddhist prayer and just pretended like it was a holiday.

At the end of the flight we -the squashed and disgruntled passengers of Delta- scrambled out. I found the Jamaican man again. This time he was hobbling along on a cane and looked 20 years older. I became aware of his mortality. I had labeled him an angry, drunk, old man and now he just looked old, sad, and alone. He limped along to the baggage claim as crowds pushed passed him.

I waited to be picked up while Mr. Confederate re-appeared. I thought about my previous anger and recanted it. I began doing a tong-len meditation, taking away 'his pain' and giving him 'my love' until it all became one flow of light. A calm wind seemed to float through my chest. Mr. Confederate glanced at me for a moment and seemed to give me a nod, and then he was gone. Another passenger from the plane approached me looking for an outlet for his phone. The tint of anger, which seemed to color the last few hours, disbanded into a calm pallor of clarity. I recalled the words spoken in a meeting a few days ago: a peace that surpasses our understanding.

Abdicated of anger, the king of peace now sat on the throne. And all of it happening beneath the indifferent expressionless tent of my face. It just reminded me how much all of us have going on inside and how much work there is to do on the worlds that dwell within my heart.

Get What You Want: August 2013

1.

Milwaukee Rep Lab Short Play Festival

Deadline: Sept. 16th

Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s annual Rep Lab Short Play Festival features The Rep’s Artistic Intern ensemble in an evening of short plays. In the past, Rep Lab festivals have included work by established playwrights and emerging playwrights, funny plays and serious ones, published and unpublished scripts, and even a short musical.

As we plan our fourth season of Rep Lab, we welcome submissions of short plays for the 2014 festival. Plays should be between thirty seconds to twenty minutes in length with a cast size between one to twelve actors. Plays will be cast from The Rep’s multi-ethnic ensemble of intern actors between the ages of 22 and 35, directed by a combination of staff, Artistic Associates, and Directing Interns, and produced and designed by The Rep’s Production Interns, all under the guidance of The Rep’s professional staff.

Playwrights whose plays are selected for production will receive commensurate royalty payments.

*Selection Process:*

Short plays received by September 16, 2013 will be considered for the 2013/14 season festival. Scripts may have received productions at other theaters or may be as-yet unproduced work. Playwrights may submit as many pieces as they like that they feel fit the stated criteria.

Note: Due to the volume of submissions, we cannot respond to every submission. We will notify you by January 15, 2013, if your script has been chosen for the festival.  Additionally, all scripts received will be kept

on file for consideration in future Rep Lab festivals.

*Submissions*

- Submissions should be emailed to Milwaukee Rep Literary Coordinator Leda Hoffmann at lhoffmann@milwaukeerep.com with the subject line “REP LAB – [Title of Play]”

- Please email scripts in PDF or Word format.

- Please include your name and contact information for you or your agent (if applicable), on the front page of the script.

- Please label the script file as follows: PLAY TITLE (Playwright’s Last Name)

2.

PUBLIC THEATRE EMERGING WRITER GROUP

Deadline is August 30th

The Emerging Writers Group, now accepting applications for its fifth cycle, targets playwrights early in their careers, creating an artistic home, support, and resources for a diverse group of up-and-coming playwrights.

Through an open application process, The Public Theater will select 10 emerging playwrights to join the Emerging Writers Group from January 2014 through December, 2015.

The participating playwrights will:

• Receive a stipend of $6,000
• Participate in a biweekly writers group led by The Public’s Literary Department
• Receive at least one reading at The Public
• Participate in master classes led by established playwrights
• Observe rehearsals for productions at The Public
• Receive an additional stipend for theater tickets to productions at other theaters
• Receive complimentary tickets to Public Theater shows, invited dress rehearsals and other special events
• Receive artistic support and professional development guidance from the literary department and artistic staff

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

• Cannot have professional representation for playwriting including, but not limited to, agent, manager or lawyer.
• Cannot be a full-time student at any point during the duration of the program.
• Cannot be enrolled in any academic playwriting course during the duration of the program.
• Must not have had productions in New York other than those using the showcase code or in an off-off Broadway theater with 99 or fewer seats. (If your New York show used a higher contract tier than the showcase code, you are not eligible to apply. If your New York show received a festival production in a theater with more than 99 seats and did not use an Equity contract, you are eligible to apply.)
• Must live within 90 minutes of The Public Theater via car or rail.
• Must be able to attend evening meetings at The Public Theater every other week in 2014 and 2015 as well as other events throughout the year, such as master classes, retreats, observerships and other special events at The Public.
• Regular attendance is mandatory and therefore applicants should view the program as a two-year-long commitment.
• Must be available for an in-person interview in early December 2013.

If you are unavailable for an in-person interview or have a limited conflict in regards to attending biweekly meetings, please make note of such conflicts on the Application Form. We will try to accommodate such situations on a case-by-case basis.

For further clarification of Requirements for Eligibility, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

• Completed Application Form. Click here to download.
• Names of and contact information for two references (to be listed on the application form). The references can be a theater professional, teacher of any discipline, or workplace supervisor.
• Resume (in PDF or MS Word).
• One-page artistic statement (in PDF or MS Word) incorporating answers to the following questions:

• Why do you want to participate in the Emerging Writers Group at The Public Theater?

• Have you participated in a writers group before?

• If so, what was it like and why was it meaningful to you? If not, how do you hope this writers group would contribute to your artistic growth?

• If you were selected for the Emerging Writers Group, what would your goals for the program be?

• One full-length play or book of a musical (in PDF or MS Word)

• Play/musical must be at least 60 pages long.

• If your play is a solo show, it must be at least 20 pages long.

• The script must be a completed draft, though it need not be a final draft. The script cannot summarize scenes-yet-to-be-written or contain any other hallmarks of an incomplete draft.

• If you applied for the program previously, you must submit a different script; revised drafts of the play previously submitted will not be accepted.

NOTE: Writers selected for the group will be asked to begin a new play; the play you send with your application should be your strongest writing sample, not a play you propose to develop during the EWG program.

If your contact information or eligibility status changes between August 30th and your notification, you are required to update The Public Theater by mailing a letter to the address below or sending an email to EWGquestions@publictheater.org.

Please email materials to: EWGapplications@publictheater.org with your name and title of your play in the subject line of your email.

3.

Rainbow Theatre Project

Deadline: September 3rd

Looking for short plays (10-20 minutes in length) to be produce as readings alongside full length plays (already chosen) for the first season of The Rainbow Theatre Project.

They should deal directly with the LGBT experience (i.e., The Normal Heart) or deal obliquely with the LGBT experience (i.e., Design for Living) or have a kinship with the LGBT experience (i.e., The Elephant Man) or is a work by a LGBT playwright, ideally relating to the LGBT experience. I would like new work but plays that have had a limited life span are acceptable.

Submissions can be sent directly to hleegable@aol.com.

Selected plays will receive a commission/stipend.

Check out our Facebook page atwww.facebook.com/RainbowTheatreProject/info.

4.

Left Coast Theatre (LGBT Theatre)

Deadline: Sept. 1st

What we’re looking for?

Comedic plays dealing with personal journeys; exploring ideas such as confessions, secrets, acceptance, etc.

LGBTQ themed shorts and/or one-acts; 10-30 minutes in length, which includes one or more LGBTQ characters present and included within the plot/story-line.

How should I submit my work?

When submitting please insure your submission has a title page which includes title of piece; name of playwright, contact information and mailing address; character names and brief description; pages numbered.

Where do I submit?

Please submit your play as a PDF to: submissions@lctc-sf.org

Please be aware that failure to follow these guidelines may prevent your submission for consideration. If you have any questions, please send them to: INFO@lctc-sf.org

Rodney R Taylor

Executive Director, Left Coast Theatre Co.

Website: www.leftcoasttheatreco.org

Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LeftCoastTheatreCompany

Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LCTCSF

5.

CLUBBED THUMB BIENNIAL

Deadline: September 22nd

For the fifth Biennial Commission we’d like you to consider Robert Altman’s movie Nashville.

No, we aren’t looking for a cast of thousands, a 2 1/2 hour opus, a dissection of country music or of red state culture. But we love the way Altman’s movies move from the ridiculous to the heart-breaking, we love the combo of the highly auteured and the DIY, the obliqueness,  the leitmotifs and the red herrings, the imperfection of the characters and of the movie itself, the excruciating humanity that is never ever mawkish, and the monumental and surprising accrual. So watch the amazing Nashville and if you like, other Altmans, and let ‘em inspire you in whatever way that happens for you.

Please explore the following possibilities:

• What if you created a cast with no dominant racial or cultural group, or/and in which more than one significant character was from a racial or cultural background different than your own?
• What if your play started just as something BIG has just ended OR the moment after someone has been terribly hurt?
• What if temperature is a factor?
• What if there is at least one scene where there is a difficulty with a light source?
• What if “close ups” are a factor in your play?  Yes, we are referring to cinematic-style close ups, but how might that translate in world of your play?
• BONUS (just for fun):  What is the theatrical equivalent of an Altman-style epic tracking shot?

Please submit the following (BLIND submission, see notes below):

• Completed info form (s)
• 10 exploratory pages from the proposed project (either contiguous or from different sections of your play – your choice)
• one page telling us about that project
• a completed play
• a resume

IMPORTANT NOTES

No names please, on 10 page samples or complete plays. The panel reads all submissions BLIND — the only place your name should appear is on the INFO FORM AND YOUR RESUME.

This year, in addition to submitting a letter of intent and ten pages and a resume, we are asking for writers to upload a completed play, along with a brief statement to help us understand its relationship to the proposed project, and recommending ten pages to look at for reference.  We are only requesting the completed script so that our committee members can get a greater sense of the writer’s voice, if they feel they need to.

The statement of intent should briefly map out the proposed piece and if need be, orient the reader to the excerpt’s relationship to the whole. You needn’t explain or repeat anything that your 10 page sample makes clear. Then give us an idea of where the piece is coming from and where you think you want to go with it.

One last thing: this is a commission for Clubbed Thumb. So scoot around ourwebsite take a look at our general submission policy and history for reference, if they are not familiar to you.

****

DEADLINE: Sunday, September 22nd, 4:44 EST. The Autumnal Equinox, at least according to the internet.

The proposals will be read and adjudicated over the course of the fall, and the commission(s) awarded by Thanksgiving.

The $15,000 commission — which might be split between writers if the panel so elects — will be paid out in three installments every six months, with the first installment following the signing of a contract.  Send questions to info[at]clubbedthumb.org

Click HERE to fill out an application.

GENERAL SUBMISSION POLICY

Clubbed Thumb will accept submissions that fall within the following guidelines:

• Unproduced in New York City
• Running time: 90 min or under.
• Intermissionless
• Must feature substantial and challenging roles for both men and women
• At least a 3 character cast

Clubbed Thumb produces plays that are funny, strange, and provocative. Please check out our history area to get a feeling for our sensibility and a selected chronology.

Please do not send scripts that fall outside these guidelines.

For general submissions, please send scripts to:

Clubbed Thumb 195 Chrystie Street, #401A New York, NY 10002

Please do not bind scripts; pages should be loose or clipped with a binder clip.

Clubbed Thumb does read and respond to every play submitted. However, with a staff of two, this may take many months. Please be patient and do not follow up on the status of your submission. Please wait for a response to one play before sending another.

6.

BAD Theater Festival

Deadline: August 15, 2013

WHY “BAD” THEATER?

Part of our motivation behind starting a festival openly searching for bad theater is to make a venue available to people who want to write but are worried about what others may think about it. We can get trapped in the need for others to like our work, to the point that it prevents us from finishing (or even starting). So don’t worry, just get it done… your play may not even be the worst one out there.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR?

If you feel strongly about doing it – we want to see it. Plus, the “bad” in Bad Theater is definitely a fun way of saying that we want to program the most eclectic festival as possible.

WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR?

We don’t want anything filled with hate speech. I mean… let’s have fun out there – make some friends instead of enemies.

Submission form: http://www.badtheaterfest.com/home/submit/

7.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Deadline: October

We accept script submissions from June to October only. You may submit a complete script or 10 sample pages. Please include a cover letter, complete character list and synopsis with your submission. We look for: full-length plays only (no one-acts), adaptations and musicals; world and regional premieres; ensemble works; plays with music; multi-media works; and plays that address current social issues.

DETAILS

Please be aware that Ensemble Theatre’s stage is a full thrust with relatively no wing or fly space and limited backstage area; therefore, our space is not very conducive to plays that require significant scene changes or numerous settings and places that are not easily adaptable or implied.

Before submitting any material to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, please read our mission statement and research our production history, which are located on our website. Considering the types of plays we have produced in the past, honestly assess whether or not your play would fit us.

Preferred maximum cast size: 8.

Response Time: 6-9 months.

Stage dimensions: 44’ x 46’.

Please email (preferred) script submissions scripts@ensemblecincinnati.org

If you do send a hard copy, you must include a SASE for our response and/or return of the material.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati

Attn: Script Submissions

1127 Vine Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

8.

Yale Drama Series 2014 Playwriting Competition

Deadline: Aug 15th

The Yale Drama Series is seeking submissions for its 2014 playwriting competition. The winning play will be selected by the series' current judge, award-winning playwright John Guare. The winner of this annual competition will be awarded the David Charles Horn Prize of $10,000, publication of his/her manuscript by Yale University Press, and a staged reading at Lincoln Center Theater.

There is no application form or entry fee. Please follow these guidelines in preparing your manuscript:

-This contest is restricted to plays written in the English language. Worldwide submissions are accepted.

-Submissions must be original, unpublished full-length plays written in English. Translations, musicals, and children's plays are not accepted. The Yale Drama Series is intended to support emerging playwrights. Playwrights may win the competition only once.

-Playwrights may submit only one manuscript per year.

-Plays that have had professional productions are not eligible. Plays that have had a workshop, reading or non-professional production are accepted.

-Plays may not be under option or scheduled for professional production at the time of submission.

-The manuscript must begin with a title page that shows the play's title and your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address (if you have one), page count and (if applicable) a list of acknowledgments; a second title page which lists the title of the play only, a list of characters, and a list of acts and scenes.

-Plays must be typed/word-processed, page-numbered and in standard professional play format. A brief biography may be included at the end of the manuscript, on a separate page, but is not required.

Do not send the only copy of your work. Manuscripts cannot be returned after the competition. If you wish receipt of your manuscript to be acknowledged, please include a stamped, self-addressed postcard.

ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS:

Go to: https://yup.submittable.com/submit

9.

GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP

Deadline: September 15th

Guggenheim supports work that require research, travel, or in-depth study.

Submission of work examples in support of your application After your application is received, you will receive an email confirmation. You may also receive a separate email with further instructions about when to submit examples of your work. Please do not send work examples until you receive these further instructions. Applicants in science need not submit examples of their work. Applicants in scholarship may (but are not required to) submit examples of previous work, following the procedures described below. Applicants in the arts (i.e., fine arts, music composition, photography, film, video, and choreography) must submit examples of previous work in order for their applications to receive full consideration by our advisers. If you do not submit examples, you will not receive consideration. The email will instruct you to log in to our competition website using your competition login credentials (i.e., username and password) and complete our Work Example Registry System. Follow the directions on the registry page to submit the information regarding the work examples you are submitting in support of your application.

APPLY: http://www.gf.org/applicants/how-to-apply/

10.

Belarusian Dream Theatre

Deadline: September 1st

Ensemble Free Theater Norway is now accepting submissions of plays for inclusion inBelarusian Dream Theater.  The deadline for entry is 1 September 2013.

Each play must be no longer than 10 pages in length, or approximately 10 minutes in length.  Plays may be written in any genre, style, or aesthetic.  Plays must be relate to Belarusian subjects in some way (ie the country´s politics, people, language, history, art, economy, etc), and may be inspired by anything from a news article to an interview to personal experience.  Works of bold imagination are strongly encouraged.  Plays by Belarusian dramatists are particularly welcome.

Email submissions to brendan.mccall.norway@gmail.com

11.

Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play Contest

Deadline: October 1st

The Castillo Theatre sponsors the Mario Fratti-Fred Newman Political Play

The contest is judged by a team of distinguished theatre artists. The

All scripts should be submitted in hard copy and must be accompanied by:

• 
  

• A brief synopsis;
• A character breakdown, including gender, age and ethnic requirements, if any;
• A 100-word biography of the playwright;
• A current email address for the playwright

Please note:

• •Receipt of script will be acknowledged via email.
• Scripts will not be returned.
• Castillo will not give critical feedback to playwrights/contestants.
• Contest
• Contest

All scripts must be postmarked by October 1st

The winner(s) will be publicly announced at the Otto René Castillo Awards for Political Theatre in New York City in May of 2014.

Send all submissions to:

Castillo Theatre

543 West 42nd Street

New York, NY 10036

Attn: Fratti-Newman Political Play Contest

Questions and inquiries should be addressed to Madelyn Chapman at 212-356-8485 or mchapman@allstars.org.

12.

terraNOVA Collective's 2014 Groundbreakers Playwrights Group

Deadline: August 12th

Go to this website: http://www.terranovacollective.org/groundbreakers-2014.html

Since 1996, terraNOVA has developed over 90 new plays through our Groundbreakers program.

Groundbreakers Playwrights Group is an annual developmental playwriting lab, in which 6 playwrights receive the unique opportunity to work on a play-in-progress with the goal of creating a completed draft. Each playwright will hear their play read around the table by professional actors 3 times over 18 weeks, receiving feedback from the Groundbreakers Playwrights Group, special guests and the artistic staff of terraNOVA Collective.  terraNOVA assembles a diverse group devoted to creating theatrical, original, innovative, socially relevant new work for the stage and welcomes submissions of new plays-in-progress that will benefit from collective feedback and further terraNOVA Collective's artistic mission. We are especially interested in playwrights who, in addition to working on their own play, have an interest in attending weekly workshops to engage in the development of other playwrights' work. Groundbreakers is made possible through public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Dramatists Guild Fund.

Deadline for applications: August 5, 2013

Notification: October 1, 2013

PARTICIPATING PLAYWRIGHTS WILL RECEIVE:

An opportunity to create a 10-minute play to be showcased in terraNOVA’s Annual Benefit.

Complimentary tickets to all terraNOVA events in the current season.

Hands-on artistic support and professional development guidance from terraNOVA's artistic staff.

A workshop and reading performance in terraNOVA's annual Groundworks New Play Series.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY:

Must be able to attend weekly sessions. Attendance is mandatory.

Questions can be directed to jessi@terranovacollective.org

13.

Ars Nova Play Group

Deadline: August 5th

All emerging playwrights are eligible to apply. In selecting new members, we will take into account the strength of the submitted play, what the writer stands to gain from membership at this point in his or her career, and the overall balance of voices and styles within the group. Women and writers of color are encouraged to apply.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please click here to apply online: http://arsnovanyc.com/play-group-applications

Applications require the following supporting materials: one full-length play, a playwriting resume, a personal statement.  Word docs of all files are preferred, but PDFs are acceptable.

Please attach your play (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME PLAY TITLE), resume (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME RESUME) and personal statement (please save as LAST NAME, FIRST NAME STATEMENT) to  your completed online application form and submit it by August 5, 2013. All applications will be reviewed and finalists will be notified by December 16, 2013.

For any questions regarding applications, email artistic@arsnovanyc.com.

14.

New Dramatists Residency

Deadline: July 15-Aug. 15th

To apply go to: http://newdramatists.org/how/apply-residency

New Dramatists continues to revise its admissions process and guidelines accordingly. Please read all the information on this page and for more detailed information download the “Admissions Guidelines” and “Application Information” documents below. If you have any questions, please email us.

•Admissions process is completely paperless

•Applicants apply through a module on our website

2013 Admissions Procedural Changes:

•The new submission window is July 15-August 15

•Upload a stand-alone Title page for each play with your full name and contact information

•Every script page must include the play's title. Your name and any other identifying information must not appear on any script page.

•Do not submit a Special Thanks Page or any other supplemental material with identifying information

•Do not submit Recommendation Letters

•Submit a one page “Letter of Intent” answering the following prompts: New Dramatists was founded on the premise that writers are each other’s greatest resource. If granted a New Dramatists Residency, how would you actively engage with the community of writers?

To begin your application, click on the “Begin Application” button below. (If you applied last year, you will need to create a new admissions applicant account.) You will be asked to create a username and enter your email address. Once you have clicked “Submit,” you will receive an email with instructions on how to log in. From this point forward, you will be guided through a simple process collecting all of your admissions materials in seven easy steps:

1. Log in. You will be asked to confirm you are a US Citizen, or that you have permanent INS work authorization.

2. Fill in your full name, address, and phone number.

3. Type or copy your "Letter of Intent" directly into the text field.

4. Upload your bio, resume, or CV; or copy your bio directly into the text field.

5. Upload a stand-alone Title Page for each play with your full name and contact information

6. Upload Two Full-Length Works (Plays and/or Books to Musicals) (The following files may be used: txt, pdf, doc, docx, rtf).

7. Review your application, and click “Submit Your Application” to complete the process. You will receive an email confirming your application has been received.

You may save your application at any point and return to it later before submitting. Once the application window closes at 11:59 (EST) p.m. on August 15, you may not alter your application in any way.

To apply go to: http://newdramatists.org/how/apply-residency

15.

Mobtown Players Reading Series

Deadline: August 30th

Last season, the play development wing of Baltimore’s Mobtown Players workshopped three new plays. One of them, Madeline Leong’s Stage IV, will receive a full production on the Mobtown stage this summer (July 26-August 10). For the 2013-2014 season, we will again devote 4 slots to the development of new work by area writers.

Each of the first 3 slots will consist of back-to-back weekends of public readings. The Mobtown Players will supply actors, directors, and marketing acumen. Playwrights will have a chance to revise their drafts based on feedback from the first weekend’s readings, and to rehearse those revisions for the second weekend’s readings. The goal for the 4th slot is to select one script to receive a full production by the Mobtown Players. The winning script will also receive a $50 honorarium.

Scripts for the first slot, which will run October 11-19 (2013), should be submitted by July 31. Scripts for the remaining two slots, which will run January 10-18 (2014) and March 28-April 5 (2014), should be submitted by August 31. If you prefer a particular slot, please include that information with your submission; otherwise, we will consider you for all three.

Plays may be any length, genre, or style and may be written on any topic. Please include with your submission 3-5 questions you still have about your play or scenes/moments you’d like to develop. (You won’t be held to this, but it will provide a starting point if we select your play.) You must be able to attend most rehearsals and each reading of your play. If you have questions, please contact Brent at mobtownplaywrights@gmail.com. Scripts should be submitted electronically to the same email address.

16.

The Sky Cooper/Marin Theatre Company

Deadline: August 31st

New American Play Prize

Norton J. “Sky” Cooper established the New American Play Prize at Marin Theatre Company in 2007 to celebrate the work of the American playwright and to encourage the creation of bold, powerful new voices and plays for the American stage. The Sky Cooper Prize will be awarded annually to either an established or emerging playwright for an outstanding new work. The play selected as the Sky Cooper winner will receive a full production at Marin Theatre Company as part of the theatre’s annual season and will be given regional and national promotion. In addition, the playwright receives a $10,000 award, as well as travel and accommodations for the MTC rehearsal period.

GUIDELINES

Plays must be full-length in any genre: comedy, drama, etc. Musicals, translations, individual one-acts, and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible. Collaborations are welcome, in which case prize benefits are shared. Plays may not have received a full-scale, professional production prior to submission. Plays that have had a workshop, reading, or non-professional production are still eligible. Playwrights must be citizens of the United States. Playwrights with past production experience are especially encouraged to submit new work. Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year. If you are eligible for the David Calicchio Award you may submit the same play for both prizes.

Submission is a two-phase process.

Phase I: Submit a two-page maximum abstract of the play including title, character breakdown, brief story synopsis and playwright bio or resume. Also include 10 pages of consecutive sample dialogue. Do not send videos or CDs. Literary agents may submit full scripts of their client’s work. All abstracts and dialogue samples will be read. From these, selected manuscripts will be solicited for Phase II by October 1. Due to the high number of submissions, not every playwright will receive a response to their Phase 1 submission. Do not send a manuscript with or instead of the abstract. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be read. Due to the high number of submissions we cannot return any materials. If you would like notification that your submission was received, please send it with a SASP. Electronic submissions are accepted in Word or PDF format only and paper copies must also be sent to MTC if requested. Please NO PHONE OR EMAIL inquiries.

Phase II: All manuscripts that have been solicited after Phase I will be read. Manuscripts should be neatly typed, securely bound and have the playwright’s name, contact address and phone number clearly visible on the front page. No solicited manuscript will be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope with adequate postage.

Submissions are accepted between April 1 and August 31 (postmarked).

Address all submissions to:

The Sky Cooper/Marin Theatre Company New American Play Prize

Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Or electronically to skycooper@marintheatre.org

17.

David Calicchio/Marin Theatre Company Emerging Playwright Prize

Deadline: August 31st

Norton J. “Sky” Cooper established the Emerging American Playwright Prize award at Marin Theatre Company in 2007 in honor of David Calicchio’s lifelong career as a playwright and in support of Marin Theatre Company’s commitment to the discovery and development of new and emerging American playwrights. The Calicchio Prize will be awarded annually to a professionally unproduced playwright for a new work that shows outstanding promise and a distinctive new voice for the American theatre. The play selected as the Calicchio Prize winner will receive 2 public staged readings at Marin Theatre Company as part of the theatre’s annual New Works Series. The playwright will receive a $2,500 award, as well as travel and accommodations for the MTC rehearsal period (25 hours).

GUIDELINES

Plays must be full-length in comedy, drama, etc. Musicals, translations, adaptations, individual one-acts and any play previously submitted for the Sky Cooper or David Calicchio Prizes are not eligible. Collaborations are welcome, in which case prize benefits are shared. Playwrights may not have received a full-scale, professional production of the submitted play, or any of their other works, prior to submission. Plays and playwrights that have had workshop, reading or non-professional productions are still eligible. Playwrights must be citizens of the United States. Only one submission per playwright is allowed each year. If you plan to also submit your play to the Sky Cooper Play Prize you may do so but it must be the same play.

Submission is a two-phase process.

Phase I: Submit a two-page maximum abstract of the play including title, character breakdown, brief story synopsis and playwright bio or resume. Also include 10 pages of consecutive sample dialogue. Literary agents may submit full scripts of their client’s work. All abstracts and dialogue samples will be read. From these, selected manuscripts will be solicited for Phase II by October 1. Due to the high number of submissions, not every playwright will receive a response to their Phase 1 submission. Do not send a manuscript with or instead of the abstract. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be read. Due to the high number of submissions we cannot return any Phase I materials. If you would like notification that your submission was received, please send it with a SASP. Electronic submissions are accepted in Word or PDF format only and paper copies must be sent to MTC if requested. Please NO PHONE OR EMAIL inquiries.

Phase II: All manuscripts that have been solicited after Phase I will be read. Manuscripts should be neatly typed, securely bound and have the playwright’s name, contact address and phone number clearly visible on the front page. No solicited manuscript will be returned without a self-addressed, stamped envelope with adequate postage.

All final selections are made by Jasson Minadakis, Artistic Director of Marin Theatre Company.Submissions are accepted between April 1 and August 31 (postmarked).

Address all submissions to:

The David Calicchio/Marin Theatre Company Emerging American Playwright Prize

Marin Theatre Company

397 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Or electronically to davidcalicchio@marintheatre.org

18.

WAREHOUSE PAC (10-minute play festival)

Deadline: Sept 1st

1.  Plays should take place in a “salon,” of sorts.  The set will consist of three 1960s/70s salon hair dryers, one styling chair, a counter, etc…  Although the location is a “beauty, barber, and bait shoppe,” writers need not include references to all.  Nor does “Eunice” need to be present.

2.  Five characters or less.  (Quirky characters and situations welcome.)

3.  Must be comedies.

4.  Plays must be 10-minutes running time.

Submission Requirements:

Please submit three scripts with title only.  Please bind each script with a paper clip—no staples or binders.  Include a separate page with title and contact information.

Send to:

The Warehouse PAC

9216-A Westmoreland Rd.

Cornelius, NC 28031

ATTN:  Short-play fest

Deadline:   August 30th, 2013

Selections will be made through blind-readings by October 31, 2013.  All writers will be notified of the selection, but feedback on scripts will not be given.

Production Date : January 16th – February 2nd, 2014

The Warehouse, just north of Charlotte, is an intimate, 55-seat black box theater.  Selected writers are not paid, but will receive 2 comp seats to their night of choice.  And much fanfare. For additional information, email warehouse at marlabrown@mac.com or call 704.619.0429.

19.

SANTE FE PERFORMING ARTS PLAYWRIGHT COMPETITION

Deadline: September 1st

Santa Fe Performing Arts Playwright's Competition was developed to support American Playwrights. The competition is not merely a competition of words, but a venue for recognition and a demonstration of appreciation - truly a celebration of the writer's contribution. SFPA and many other theatre companies around the country with similar programs, support playwrights and ensure the future of American Theatre. Without the writers, the actors would have nothing to say. Submissions are limited to unproduced new American plays and must be postmarked by the first of September of each year. Send play synopsis and character break-down via email office@sfperformingarts.orgor mail to: Santa Fe Performing Arts P.O. Box 22372 Santa Fe, N.M. 87502. Full scripts upon request only.

20.

Deadline: October 31st

NOTE: the $10 submission fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card.

We are currently accepting submissions for the 2014-15 Reva Shiner Comedy Award (deadline Oct. 31, 2013). The top 10 finalists and the winner of the 2013-14 Reva Shiner Comedy Award will be announced at the end of March 2014.

"Full-length" plays will have a complete running time of between 1 hour 15 minutes (75 minutes) to 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes).

Plays submitted must be unpublished at the time of submission. Plays that have received developmental readings, workshop productions, or productions at small theatre companies are acceptable. No scripts with previous productions at major regional theaters will be accepted. Once entered, subsequent activity does not change the acceptability of the script.

Each submission must include a synopsis (1 page or less) including the cast size. A separate page should include a brief bio of the playwright, and production/development history if applicable.

Each submission must include a cover letter with contact information and a $10.00 reader fee. Agent submissions require no fee. The fee will be waived for Dramatist Guild members with an enclosed photocopy of a membership card.

Send to:

Reva Shiner Comedy Award

Bloomington Playwrights Project

107 W. 9th Street

Bloomington, IN 47404

Scripts must be postmarked by Octobery 31, 2013, and received no later than November 10, 2013. We are not responsible for postal delays, and recommend you not choose to send Media Mail unless you are submitting several weeks in advance.

For further information, write BPP, Attn: Literary Manager, 107 W. 9th Street, Bloomington, IN 47404.

For faster replies, please e-mail us at literarymanager@newplays.org

21.

PIPELINE PLAY LAB

Deadline: August 30th

Pipeline is establishing our FIRST EVER PlayLab! Through a year-long series of monthly meetings, this lab will serve as a workshop for playwrights to build new plays with constructive feedback from other playwrights, directors, and the artistic staff of Pipeline Theatre Company, culminating in staged-readings of the developed plays.

At Pipeline we believe that an unbridled imagination is a force of magic with the power to provoke a more courageous and compassionate world, and we want to find playwrights who will help contribute to this vision. The PlayLab will consist of seven playwrights; four will be selected to develop brand new plays, and three with more complete scripts will be selected to receive full workshops of their plays.

How will it work?

Once a month (September – June) the seven playwrights in the lab will meet to discuss your current projects, read one another’s pages, drafts, and outlines, and provide feedback on developing work. You will work with Pipeline’s artistic staff to hone your vision for the stage, and be paired with a director to assist in bringing your words to life as a staged reading.

What am I committing to?

Monthly meetings with the PlayLab at which you will be asked to present pages of your work for the group to read and discuss. Attendance at all PlayLab meetings, as well as all PlayLab presentations (7 staged readings throughout the year). Attendance at all Pipeline mainstages. Diving deep into the world of your play to create something neat.

How do I submit?

Submissions are due by: 11:59PM, August 30th, 2013.

Notifications will be sent out by: September 6th, 2013.

Please e-mail artistic@pipelinetheatre.org with the Subject Line: “Playgroup Submission – YOUR NAME”

In your e-mail please include (as attachments):

1.  A complete, full-length play, to be used as a writing sample

2.  A one-page artistic statement. What are you interested in exploring through your next play? What idea is really churning around your brain? Or what’s the story of the thing you’re currently working on and want to keep going with? Just tell us what you want this year to be about for you, and how you think that fits with our mission statement (see below). If you already have a director in mind you’d like to develop this with, let us know that too!

3.  Your resume

4.  Your contact info so we can contact you (duh)

Our mission statement:

Pipeline makes theater of the imagination. Our company thrives on adventure and believes no story is worth telling without a little risk. We love our villains as much as our heroes, especially in those puzzling moments when we can’t quite tell them apart. Above all, we aim to leave you with stories that stick somewhere in your heart, your brain, or your guts.

Please note, we are only looking for playwrights whose work will fit within our mission statement, as, you know, that’s our mission.

If you have any burning questions, or concerns, feel free to contact Colby (our Artistic Development Manager) at: artistic@pipelinetheatre.org. We look forward to your submissions!